While many across the world are mourning Joe Jackson, who died this week after battling terminal cancer, Bette Midler isn’t.
The 89-year-old Jackson family patriarch was renown for his iron-handed approach to honing his children into household names; a reality achieved several times over with the career successes of the Jackson 5, as well as Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson as soloists. All artists he managed at pivotal points.
Still, his tactics rendered him a polarizing figure in life and seemingly in death too. Because, Midler took to social media to weigh-in and had less than favorable things to say.
See what we mean below…
Appalling. On several fronts too.
What’s perhaps most perplexing is that the very children who shared their stories about Joe have publicly forgiven him + made amends and declared their love for their dad.
So, what is Ms. Midler’s vitriol even based on? Is she somehow madder than those who experienced the “Jackson reality” firsthand?
Girl bye.
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The sad reality is that she would know more about him than we would.
Ding Dong!
Joe Is Dead…
Which Old Witch?
The Wicked Joe!
Ding Dong The Wicked Joe is Dead!
In the words of the legendary Bette Davis (when asked about Joan Crawford passing)… “You should never say bad things about the dead, you should only say good… (Joe Jackson) is dead. Good!”
I agree with Bette and also I agree with Brooke Shields. Brooke had the balls to tell Joe face to face how she felt about him. I’m sure Bette would have done that too if they were ever in the same room together. I try not to be biased about stories I only hear one side of but in this case I have heard both sides and I find it odd that Michael Jackson and Latoya Jackson kept living with Joe and Kathryn until they were 30 years old. One might say if he was so horrible then why did they live with him so long? I think the abuse took place during their childhoods and as adults well along in their careers he stopped beating them and verbally abusing them. He gave Latoya away to a different manager because he was busy with Jackson 5. The other brothers moved out very very early and got married very young.
Now, if we rewind, Latoya accused Joe of sexual abuse and physical abuse. She later recanted her statements. I believe Latoya’s original statements about Joe because as an she skirts around the question of whether or not she is a virgin (she likely is not a virgin if she was sexually abused). As for Michael’s allegations, I believe them to be true regarding Joe’s physical abuse. I think Joe was jealous of Michael for whatever reason and at the same time Joe knew Michael was the most gifted male of that family. There is an obvious evil and mean streak with Joe so he was beating his kids and I do not believe the kids know the reason why they were getting beaten. Joe was installing feat in them and damaged ALL of them physicologically.
While I do not condone any abuse, I truly believe the abuse Joe was doing in the 50s and 60s was quite the norm back them. If more parents were disciplinarians we would have less thugs, gangs, degenerates, alcoholics, and drug addicts in this world. I’m not saying force your kids into showbusiness like Joe did through beatings but I am saying beat your kids when they do wrong and tell them why u are beating them. Kids must learn to respect you as a parent and develop good morals and become career driven early on. I don’t have an issue with parents beating their children one in a while but it must be for a specific reason and the child must understand what they did wrong to cause a beating.
In this clip, Joe is lying about the beatings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQHm-3pYsGY
That man made mistakes but he did what he did to keep his kids out of trouble in Gary Indiana. And to sit and listen to white woman trying to tell a black man with nine children (6 black boys, 3 girls) growing up in gang/crime area in Gary with few good jobs for blacks (Tito had a gun put to his head over a dime) on what he should have done is stupid. Again, Joe made mistakes but I believe he had good intentions and his kids forgave him. That is all that matters. Bette, have a seat. You were NO saint either.
Bette act like she lived a saint life. I do not care, this was wrong to say (be careful in being glad over someone dying). And to celebrate the death of someone is tacky all because of what you think. Joe made mistakes as ALL PARENTS do in some way but his kids forgive him and that is all that matters. So get off your high “righteous” horse.
No she would not. Just because one is in showbiz does not mean they know everything about you.
Did she lie though? Why should we mourn a child abuser? Don’t shame unless you know why you’re shaming.
From the moment he decided to put him and his family in the spotlight people are entitled do have an opinion.
He mistreated his kids, he abused them just for greed.
I’m with Bette on this I’m happy he’s dead and hope he’s rotting in hell.
His kids must have forgiven him and made amends with him, good for them but we’re entitled to criticize him.
When somebody dies everybody rushes to talk good about them I rather be honest and say the only sorrow I have it’s just that Michael has past before this old bag!
“she is right” – Michael Jackson via Odgi board
Does she lied?
If hes child forgive him right for them its a blood
But we dnt need to
I dnt feel syympathy for him right now or never
He can died hell waiting for him
After all.he did to his childs specially michael and janet
Your grammar gave me cancer.
???? you are a savage.
Oh il happy for that u got cancer u can join him
If i write badly because im french and i learn english by myself. So im not great in write english
But im glad tongive u cancer and im hope it will grow more on u
Lol….good one @that heaux
Janet herself said he once hit her with a belt after she walked out of the shower. Bette may be disgusting but she’s not a liar.
Lol I think this generation needs to look up the word SARCASM. Smh.
Many people feel the same way secretly. Bette was bold to say it out loud
Wrong. People know he made mistakes.
Nice try Sam! Bette Midler is a living legend. WHY are you such a hater? We can all see that your tring to people aganst her.
Well… she didn’t lie. Joe ruined his children’s mental state.
What she said.. was wrong beacause…??? She is right. Nothing disgusting about her words. That man was awful. I don´t know if he was nice in his two last decades of life or wahteevr. But I´m sure Bette knows better than us. And if she doesn´t it is enough to know the pressure and mistreatments he put on his children. THAT´s disgusting.
My thing is this…Michael and Janet were vocal about Joe! So Bette’s tea is ice cold lol…and I’ll say this too! I was highly disappointed with the movie Beaches! It was terrible as all hell! She was horrible in it! But Wind Beneath My Slay is classic tho ? ??
I’m.surprised at her being so vocally honest about this. She is doing a little too much. And yes he did treat his children horrifically. Michael was forever scarred and haunted by the abuse he experienced as a child and Letoya is really f***** up because of it. As far as Janet’s career is concerned, her music career took off after she got rid of her father as manager and moved out. But to celebrate someone’s death this way who isn’t a mass murderer is just wrong.
Having said that I do believe she wrote this out of anger for abusing Michael and she was irritated by people praising him without bringing up the things he did to his children, the extent of which I’m not sure everyone is truly aware of.
TGJ are you effing kidding us? Joe Jackson r**** his own daughters. You are the real disgusting by not mention that!
Rebbie said that was lie. latoya huband at the time put her up to say those things at the time. Remember latoya was jealous that she did not have the success like Michael and was viewed the less talented one. So she wrote the book and pose n***.
People outside of the family are talking like they lived in the Jackson home. His family knew him best and forgave him for any wrongdoing. Holding a grudge and celebrating the death of a man who meant nothing to you is only hindering your own progress as a person, especially if you are of Christian faith. God will not forgive those who cannot find it in their hearts to forgive others (Matthew 6:15).
I agree. I bet many of these people who are trashing Joe did a lot mistakes as well in their own lives (Bette used drugs. What do her kids say about her? That is ).
But did she lie though?
“Iron-handed approach” is an interesting turn of phrase for beating your own children to a bloody pulp. Just because they have forgiven him doesn’t mean he wasn’t a serial abuser and we should just forget about that. He was a horrible human being and he WILL be remembered as such.
nah, joe jackson was a monster.
Many of these horrible comments, praising the death of this great patriarch without whom the world wouldn’t even know Michael or Janet Jackson, is living proof that there’s a vast population of sick headed, deranged losers like yourselves who need to get cancer, contract A*** and drop dead. When your parents perish I’ll throw a party. I never liked Bette Midler, she has no talent and now I await the impending demise of the old blonde bimbo. Crazy white folks!